I read the 3rd edition of the Kilimanjaro Rucksack Reader and found it very informative and well-written. I highly recommend it for anyone planning to climb Kili. There is only one thing that I would have liked to have seen more coverage of in the book: the different temperature ranges at the 5 different levels on the mountain. This would help hikers get a better idea of what clothes to prepare for the different altitudes. Could anyone provide more info on temperature?

Thanks for the kind words, but you're absolutely right I neglected the temperature issue and should try to make amends.

The daily temperature range on Kili can be huge, especially on the 'lower slopes', which can be very hot around the middle of the day but deeply chilly at night – I say 'lower' because your lowest camp is likely to be at 2700-3000 m (8850-9850 ft). Higher up, average temperatures are even colder, and winds tend to be stronger, but rain and snow is less likely. Almost everybody finds the midnight start of the summit climb coldest of all, but should you be lucky enough to have still weather on the summit, you could even find yourself warm, at least on the way down, after the sun is up. But nights will feel either cold or very cold at all altitudes. Also, in wet, windy weather you could feel cold during the daytime due to wind chill, even at lower altitudes.

At all altitudes, therefore, you’ll need clothing that works well in layers, good waterproofs and a decent-sized backpack to hold all the clothing that you may need to strip off but have to carry. Every mountain makes its own weather, and the Kili massif makes more weather than most!